Improvement in shoes



A BLACK. Shoe.

No 216,503 Patented June 17, 1879.

N. PETERS PHOTO-LITHDQRAPHER. WASHIMGTOI. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ABNER BLACK, OF EATON RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,503, dated June 17, 1879; application filed March 8, 1879.

7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER BLACK, of

Eaton Rapids, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented an Improvement in Shoes and other like articles; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and complete description thereof.

The article generally known asa gaiter, as represented in the drawings accompanying this specification, is very liable to crack and break away directly above the counter. The cause of this cracking and breaking away at this particular part sooner than at any other is due to the severe strain or draft exerted upon it when the gaiter is laced or buttoned up, which strain takes place across the upper part of the instep from the rear, thereby weakening the leather at the latter place just above the counter. To avoid this breaking away of the leather at the place referred to is the purpose of this invention.

To attain this end the upper part of the gaiter leg and quarters is made up in two sections-that is, the lower part of the article or quarters forms one section, and the part above, forming the leg, the other section.

For a more full and complete description of the said improvement, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings and to the following specification.

The upper part of the quarters A extends no farther up the leg than to the dotted line a,

Figure 1, also seen in Fig. 2, in which the upper section, B, of the leg is broken away, showing the top of the quarters. The line of the upper end of the quarters extends from I) to c, or about this line from the instep to the counter, whereas the lining of the quarters extends undividedly to the top of the leg, as indicated at C, Fig. 2, which represents the inside lining. I

The upper part or section, B, is secured to the quarters at the front or lacing part, as indicated at d; but it is not attached to the sides or back of the quarters, it being entirely loose from the sides and around the rear of the quarters, and lapping down over the upper part of the quarters, as indicated at D, and is so cut as to adapt it to fit neatly over and around the upper part of the quarters, as shown in the drawings, so that the top edge of the quarters is covered over by the lapping down of the section B of the leg.

The outer leather or other material of the leg is stitched to the lining of the edge, along the extreme upper edge, E, and up the front along the line of usual lacing or buttons.

The outer leather and lining of the leg are in no other way attached to each other, the outer leather being free to move upon the lining, which, in the ordinary way, is parted and sewed to the upper and lower sections of a gaiter, so that all the parts are fastened together.

In sewing the outer leather and lining of the leg together, as shown in my improvement, the outer part-is retained in proper fitting relation with the quarters.

The lining may be of the ordinary kind, and made up in any convenient way for the purpose herein set forth.

It will be obvious that by having the legbf the shoe separated'from the quarters, as above described, there can be little or no strain exerted upon the gaiter directly above the counter in the act of bending the instep in walking. As the instep bends and draws upon the leg of the gaiter, the overlapping part, 1), yields to such strain, sliding upward and downward over the quarters, according to the play of the foot; hence there can be no wearing and breaking away of the leather at the place alluded to by the folding and strain in using; also, by having the leg of the gaiter separate from the quarters, as above described, there is less strain upon the front seams, and, furthermore, a saving is had in material, as the cutting can be done to better advantage than if the quarters and leg were in one piece, as in ordinary shoes of this class.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A shoe having the quarters shortened at the top and stitched to the linin g, which extends to the full height of the shoe, and having an additional piece, B, stitched to the lining at the top and front, but which is unstitched at its bottom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ABNER BLACK.

Witnesses:

E. O. BREIM, FRED. Z. HAMILTON. 

